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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. row — to paddle
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. mug — a face
  7. pass — a permit
  8. sharp — clever
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. track — to keep track
  11. squash — to crush
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. rush — hurry
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a cup
  18. track — a song
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. squash — the sport
  21. row — a line
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. band — a ring

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com